Special report: Snap general election in Thailand

    BANGKOK, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's three top courts on Friday failed to reach a common ground regarding whether to nullify this month's parliamentary election in the wake of the King's advice for them to find a solution to the constitutional quagmire.

    After a two-hour close-door meeting, judges from the Supreme, Constitution and Administrative courts has not clinched a conclusion on the legitimacy of April 2 election.

    The judges agreed that each respective court should operate in an independent, timely and consistent manner in reaching their verdicts with the benefit of the country in mind, Supreme Court spokesman Jaran Pakdeethanakul told a news conference.

    Each courts need to deliberate the complaints already filed contesting the fairness of the election process and handle cases within their own jurisdiction. No indication of how long the process would take has been given, said Charan.

    Earlier reports said that judges from the three top courts appear split over how to rule on the April 2 election after they took note of the King's advice.

    They thought a court injunction alone would not break the deadlock since the problem was too complex to be tackled purely on the basis of law.

    In a rarely public remarks Tuesday night, King Bhumibol Adulyadej ruled out the possibility to appoint a new prime minister to steer the country through political reforms as the opposition has request.

    He criticized the ongoing political mess as the current ballots would not produce a legitimate Parliament. The King considered one-party race as undemocratic and urged the judges from the three courts to find a solution to the crisis.

    It is the king's first direct intervention since 1992 when he stepped in to end a bloody confrontation between people power protesters and a military government.

    The speech aroused expectations that the election results would be canceled and pave the way for a fresh parliamentary polling.

    Deputy Thai Rak Thai (TRT) leader Sudarat Keyuraphan said his party was willing to take any recommendation made by the judges.

    The main opposition parties on Thursday filed a petition urgingthe Administrative Court to nullify recent parliamentary elections and to take legal action against caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra following his allegedly unconstitutional dissolution of the House of Representatives.

    The parties were ready to contest the next general election and act in line with any solutions suggested by the relevant courts, they said.

    A group of law lecturers from Thammasat University and some senators also wanted the elections invalidated on grounds that they were called to benefit the ruling party and that small parties were paid to contest the polls.

    The People's Coalition for Democracy (PAD), a coalition which has unseated Thaksin from office through months of protests, said it would accept a court ruling on whether to hold new elections, even if the outgoing premier appears on the ballot. The coalition insisted on holding another rally at Sanam Luang on May 2.

    After Thursday's meeting of 234 judges, the Supreme Court deemed the April 2 election lack legitimacy from the beginning andthe electoral process was flawed with a large number of protest votes.

    The majority of judges in the Constitution Court are, however, against invalidation of the election, saying it will only prolong the political uncertainty.

    The courts have repeatedly refused to step into the crisis before the King gave instructions. There has been a long history of the military intervening in the political disputes in Thailand before the reformist 1997 Constitution.

    Thaksin called the snap election three years ahead to defuse protracted street protests demanding his resignation over claims of corruption and abuse of power.

    Despite TRT's victory in the election, which also left 40 seats unfilled, a strong protest votes force Thaksin to step aside and handed over the day-to-day power to Deputy Prime Minister Chitchai Wannasathit. But critics say Thaksin is intriguing a comeback by reining the ruling party behind scenes.

    Marred by a civil disobedience campaign and low turnout, last Saturday's by-election saw four small parties beat the TRT to win in 9 out of the total 40 constituencies, while candidates from theruling party acquired seats in 17 constituencies.

    The Law prevents parliament from convening until a quorum is reached. But 14 seats remain empty after two rounds of balloting. The second by-election has been slated for Saturday in 14 constituencies in the South, but unopposed TRT candidates were unlikely to win in the democratic strongholds.

    Analysts say even if the snap poll is nullified, what will happen afterwards is much harder to foresee. No quick solution seems in sight to cure the prolonged political crisis which has inflicted the country with painful sufferance. Enditem